Professor Yuri Zhdanov explained the transfer of depleted uranium shells by America to Ukraine

The other day, on September 6, the Americans announced the sending of the next tranche of assistance to Ukraine – up to $175 million. How and on what these dollars are spent, said Doctor of Law, Honored Lawyer of Russia, Professor Yuri Zhdanov.

– Yuri Nikolaevich, what exactly are the Americans sponsoring for the Armed Forces of Ukraine today?

– The package of so-called assistance today includes additional air defense systems, artillery shells and anti-tank weapons. Let me remind you that this assistance, among other things, includes more than 2,000 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more than 10,000 Javelin anti-tank systems, and more than 2 million 155-mm artillery shells.

The supplies were provided by drawing down existing US stockpiles (take away our junk!) and through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a body under which the US purchases weapons (again, obsolete) from its home industry and European partners. The Americans have created a very profitable program for themselves. In general, we settled in well!

– Why all these ideological tricks? According to their own logic, everything is fair: the Americans are helping “good” Ukraine in the fight against “bad” Russia…

– There are no words – everything is so (from their point of view). Therefore, based on their understanding of “justice,” any bast (that is, a weapon) will be fine. And here is the main “trick” of this season: they are giving Ukraine shells for tank guns, the warheads of which contain depleted uranium.

– How seriously will this help in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?

– From the point of view of field tactics, it won’t help at all. Well, a Russian T-72 tank was penetrated by a shell with depleted uranium… But, on the other hand, would some kind of cumulative shell or, say, a high-explosive shell work worse in a direct hit?

And all sorts of ranting about radioactive contamination of the territory is in favor, as they say, of the poor. It is very convenient to refer to “atomic problems”, such as the causes of cancer, and scare everyone terribly. In fact, doctors still have not figured out exactly (and will they ever figure out?) what causes cancer in humans. Maybe radiation has nothing to do with it? For example, the Japanese, who survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are calmly draining water, presumably radioactive, from their emergency Fukushima nuclear power plant. And they assure that everything will be fine.

– But still, what is the point of supplying ammunition with depleted uranium?

– In recycling your junk. The Pentagon press service reported that as part of a new package of military assistance, the United States will transfer 120-mm depleted uranium shells for Abrams tanks to Ukraine:

“Such rounds for Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks will be delivered in the coming weeks,” a Pentagon spokesman told Breaking Defense on September 6. He promised that Kyiv will receive 31 tanks this fall. Until then, about 200 Ukrainian soldiers are expected to remain at the Grafenwoehr training ground in Germany, continuing to hone their skills as Abrams operators and maintainers.

– And yet, is depleted uranium in shells really dangerous?

– Experts say that depleted uranium is approximately twice as dense as lead. There is debate among doctors about its effect on cancer and birth defects. The UN considers depleted uranium a heavy toxic metal that is also radioactive. According to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, “munitions containing depleted uranium explode on impact and release uranium oxide dust into the air.

According to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons, these munitions contain depleted uranium, a radioactive and chemically toxic heavy metal, and when struck by an armor surface, they burn at higher temperatures, resulting in the production of radioactive and chemically toxic fine dust. Additionally, shells that miss their target slowly corrode and release toxins into the soil and groundwater.”

This is where you have the opportunity to go green. But they are silent.

And also, so that everything is immediately clear, we are talking about the potential destruction of the Slavic population, it doesn’t matter whether they are Ukrainians or Russians (or maybe Poles and Czechs – all en masse).

– How is that?

– As the famous detective Holmes said: “Elementary, Watson!”

I just announced that modern science claims that the point of adding depleted uranium to artillery, including tank ammunition, is not only in increased armor penetration, but also in the possible radioactive contamination of the area. Yes, I agree that this has not yet been proven for sure. But still… It is assumed that everything that grows on Ukrainian black soil after this conflict will be infected and poisoned. And it no longer matters who will harvest and consume this harvest – Ukrainians or Russians. Or other Europeans, especially Africans. By the way, is this where the problems with the grain deal come from? Is the West preparing barriers to radioactive wheat in advance?

I am not an expert in nuclear physics and respect the expert assessments of the US White House. The Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, assured at a briefing that the depleted uranium shells being transferred to Kyiv “do not pose a radioactive threat.”

“Depleted uranium rounds are denser, they’re heavier than conventional tank rounds, and they’re very effective against armored targets,” Kirby told reporters. “We want to make sure that Ukraine can act as effectively as possible in this counter-offensive.” And we are confident that these uranium rounds will help them be more effective on the battlefield. Our scientific studies have shown that depleted uranium projectiles, including those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), do not pose a radioactive threat.”

Kirby was referring to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

He said the projectiles are “simply denser than conventional weapons, but there is none of the carcinogenic radioactive threat that depleted uranium projectiles pose.” Only.

– Yes, well, how can one not believe a gentleman’s word… How often were uranium ammunition used?

– Often. The US used depleted uranium munitions in huge quantities during the Gulf Wars of 1990 and 2003, and during the 1999 NATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia.

Again, in April of this year, the UK Ministry of Defense announced the transfer to Ukraine of thousands of shells for Challenger 2 tanks, including shells with depleted uranium.

– How did Russia react to this?

“As expected,” she expressed, so to speak, concern. Judge for yourself: Russia has requested (just!) a meeting of the UN Security Council on September 12, 2023 (and shells with depleted uranium are already flying across the Donetsk steppes with might and main!).

But there is also encouraging news. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in mid-June that we have a large number of depleted uranium shells. According to him, if Ukraine uses such ammunition, Russia will also use its reserves. That is, we can also – hypothetically – fuck with this crap.

And who will benefit from this?

– Do we really not have serious, one might say, Napoleonic plans for this protracted conflict?

– Let me remind you that I am not a military strategist. However, as for Napoleonic plans, I can say with confidence: we definitely don’t have them. Yes, Napoleon himself never had them. Where did this expression come from – “Napoleonic plans”? It’s irony. Napoleon’s genius is that he never planned, much less drew, the upcoming battle on the maps. He never had plans for upcoming fights! He believed (this is what needs to be quoted!) that it was “the battle that will show everything.” Not in the sense of who is braver and better in bayonet fighting, but where to move troops, where to place artillery and when to use reserves. Look at the history of military art, which Bonaparte wrote anew: he never positioned his troops in advance, they always moved in columns along convenient roads. And then – depending on the situation, where and how to deploy them: the battle will show!

– But still, how are these enemy combat columns positioned now?

– I won’t lie – very competently. At least from a supply and logistics point of view. Never underestimate the enemy. Now new so-called “columns” are approaching – “Leopards”, “Challengers”, “Abrams”, F-16 aircraft, drones, medium-range missiles and much more. So Western military leaders are looking to see what the battle will show. And we show it to them… Unfortunately, as always, we learn from our mistakes, and they (well done!) learn from ours. Although it should be the other way around. But – alas.